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This blogspot is a medium to share my thoughts and adventures apart from promoting my books. Below are the books which have been written or authored and published by myself.


"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti".

ISBN 983-42031-0-1, Jun 2006


"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Membela Syiar yang Asal"

ISBN 983-42031-1-x, May 2007


"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Sirih Pulang ke Gagang?"

ISBN 978-983-42031-2-2, November 2007


It is interesting to note that while these books were written in Malay it has gained enough attention to merit being part of the collections of the American Library of Congress and National Library of Australia. Look here and here.


While the first three books were published by my own company, the fourth titled "Rumah Azan" was published in April 2009 by a company called Karnadya with the help of the Malaysian national literary body Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. It features beautiful pictures along with stories behind selected mosques which could be related to the history of Islam and the Malays alongside the formation of the Malaysian nation. Look at the article A collaboration of old collegemates - the book "Rumah Azan".


My fifth book "Ahlul Bait (Family) of Rasulullah SAW and Malay Sultanates", an English translation and adaptation of the Malay book "Ahlul Bait (Keluarga) Rasulullah SAW dan Kesultanan Melayu" authored by Hj Muzaffar Mohamad and Tun Suzana Othman was published early 2010. Look here... My 5th book is out! Ahlul Bait (Family) of Rasulullah SAW and the Malay Sultanates... . For more information check out my Malay blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU.



Like my fourth book "Rumah Azan", the sixth book "Kereta Api Menuju Destinasi" is also a coffee-table book which is published by the company Karnadya with the cooperation of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (the main Malay literary body in Malaysia). Coming out January 2011 it features pictures and stories on the adventure travelling by train to all of Peninsular Malaysia along with the interesting places which could be reached this way.


My seventh book "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah" in turn is a coffee-table book which is written, editted, designed and has pictures taken by me. Coming out of the factory October 2011, this book which combines family history with history of places such as Singapura, Johor, Batu Pahat, Muar and in fact the history of the island of Java and England has been reviewed with me interviewed live in the program Selamat Pagi Malaysia at RTM1. Look at the article Siaran langsung ulasan buku "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah" dan temu ramah di Selamat Pagi Malaysia. Some selected contents have been featured in Sneak peek "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah".


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The "Berpetualang ke Aceh" series of novels could be obtained in e-book form. Enter http://www.e-sentral.com/, click general novel and go to page 4. You can also type the word "Aceh" at the search box. Or click straight Book 1, Book 2 and Book 3.


Friday, May 24, 2013

Views from the top floor of Masjidil Haram



That night me and wife decided to sleep at the Masjidil Haram, the holy mosque. Around 3.40am or so I woke up and felt like going to the top floor.


With its wide open space you can have a good perspective of what's around.





Time to look at the inner compound.


My wife was still sleeping on the second level seen here...








The tunnel under the Mecca clock tower

Continued from Passing through Mina.

Besides our hotel lies a road tunnel. For certain reasons it was closed with blocks of concrete blocking just outside the entrance.


I was told it is a shortcut to the Masjidil Haram, the holy mosque of Mecca. So I decided to climb across the obstacle while my wife found an easier way in.


So there we were going through the tunnel late afternoon.


Soon we could see light at the end of the tunnel.




Ah. Above lies a group of skyscrapers including the Mecca clock tower.


The walk was continued under the skyscrapers leading to some sort of loading bay. 


From there you could take escalators into the shopping complex underneath the clock tower.


Just outside the shopping complex lies the Masjidil Haram. So the tunnel is indeed a shortcut from our hotel.


Passing through Mina



The Jabal Rahmah lies within a vast plain called the field of Arafah. From there our bus took us towards a place called Mina.




Here you can see tents almost everywhere.




The tents are for people making the compulsory one night vigil in Mina. This is part of a number of acts that must be done to complete the Muslim pilgrimage act of hajj.


The hajj however could only be done within a certain period of days in a year. Outside its season Mina is practically empty and so does a nearby area where lies the jamrah.


The jamrah are three pillars representing evil within the complex seen here. Hajj pilgrims must throw stones at the pillars as a symbolic act of fighting evil.

Views from the hill called Jabal Rahmah

Monday 8th April 2013. It's to visit places outside of the city of Mecca, among it, the hill called Jabal Rahmah.

Me and wife quickly made a climb up to the summit. Here are some views from up there.




This hill is often frequented because of the story that goes with it.




It is said that this was where Prophet Adam was reunited with his wife Hawa or Eve after being separated for 40 years...


Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Views from second level of Masjidil Haram



Late afternoon me and wife spent time at the second level of the mosque.




From here one could get a good perspective of the going-ons. It is a good place to see the thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of pilgrims circumambulating the holy black building called the Ka'abah, the focal point for Muslims worldwide to face towards to in prayers.






Views from the inner compound of the Masjidil Haram

The article An introductory view of Mecca and its holy mosque made 3 days ago has shown pictures as I walked towards the Masjidil Haram or holy mosque in Mecca at night. Now time to savour some views from the middle or rather, inner compound of the mosque in broad daylight.


Sunday afternoon 7th April 2013. After conducting the Zuhur (afternoon) prayers in congregation me and wife stepped onto the inner compound.


The 650-metres high or so Mecca clock tower looms large outside...


As usual I like to take in views from different angles turning anti-clockwise.


The holy Ka'abah, Muslims' focal point for prayers worldwide. Behind is the long straight segment attached to the holy mosque where lies the place for sa'ie... an act of walking to and fro between the peaks of two ancient hills emulating the action of Siti Hajar (Hagar), wife to Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) when she was looking for water to give to her crying infant son Prophet Ismail (Ishmael).


That is estimated to have happened some 6,000 years ago, when the city of Mecca was still a barren desert. Now just look at the developments going around...